Last Updated on July 27, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Long before he became one of basketball’s most recognizable broadcasters, Stu Lantz carved out an NBA career as an American shooting guard whose game leaned on smart shot selection, patient ball movement, and dependable perimeter scoring. He understood how to read defensive rotations, drift into open space without disrupting the offense, and make timely decisions that kept possessions flowing instead of forcing difficult looks.

Here’s the detailed information about Stu Lantz:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Stuart Burrell Lantz
  • Nickname: Stu
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: July 13, 1946
  • Hometown: Uniontown, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)
  • Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)
  • Wingspan: N/A
  • Shoe Size: N/A
  • Jersey Number: #22 — Nebraska; #22 — San Diego Rockets / Houston Rockets / Detroit Pistons; #23 — Los Angeles Lakers.
  • Position: Shooting guard / point guard
  • High School: Uniontown Area High School (Uniontown, Pennsylvania) (Wikipedia)
  • College: Nebraska (1965–1968) (Wikipedia)
  • NBA Draft: San Diego Rockets, 1968 NBA Draft, 3rd round, 23rd overall
  • Player Archetype: Combo scoring guard / secondary playmaking backcourt scorer. This is an editorial basketball classification based on his position, scoring profile, and usage. (Wikipedia)
  • Primary Offensive Role: Perimeter scorer who could handle the ball and work as a secondary creator. This is an editorial synthesis from his guard role and scoring record. (Wikipedia)
  • Defensive Role: Backcourt defender, primarily guarding opposing guards. This is an editorial role description inferred from his position. (Wikipedia)
  • Play Style: Skilled, poised combo guard who could score from the perimeter, operate with the ball, and play either guard spot. This is an editorial synthesis. (Wikipedia)
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right-handed shooter
  • Athletic Profile: Solid-sized guard for his era with functional mobility and backcourt versatility rather than explosive above-the-rim athleticism. This is an editorial assessment based on his listed size and role. (Wikipedia)
  • Recruiting Status: Pre-modern recruiting era; no widely documented star-ranking or national recruiting profile found. (Wikipedia)
  • Draft Status Detail: Also selected in the 1968 ABA Draft by the Oakland Oaks, but entered the NBA after being chosen by the San Diego Rockets. (Wikipedia)
  • Injury Status Category: Retired former player; career ended after a back injury from a 1976–77 training-camp scrimmage that he never fully recovered from.
  • Career Stage: Retired player; longtime television color commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers.
  • Comparison Style: Old-school combo guard with scoring punch and secondary ball-handling value. This is an editorial style comparison, not a one-to-one player comp.
  • Teams Played For:
    • San Diego Rockets / Houston Rockets (1968–1972)
    • Detroit Pistons (1972–1974)
    • New Orleans Jazz (1974)
    • Los Angeles Lakers (1974–1976)
  • Championship Rings: 0 as an NBA player.
  • Parents: Lantz has said his parents were very protective and that he grew up in a tightly run household. (huskeralum.org)
  • Children: Not publicly documented.
  • Siblings: Two sisters (huskeralum.org)
  • Retirment Age: 30
  • Retirement Year: 1977

Player Archetype / Play Style

Stu Lantz’s player archetype was that of a combo scoring guard: a skilled backcourt piece who could slide between point guard and shooting guard, give a team secondary creation, and add real scoring value from the perimeter. Defensively, he fit as a guard-to-guard matchup option rather than a bigger wing stopper, while offensively he operated as a shot-making, ball-handling scorer who could complement a lead creator instead of needing the entire offense built around him. At 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, he had good size for a guard in his era, and his overall play style leaned more toward polish, feel, and versatility than raw explosiveness. (Wikipedia)

Scouting Report

Stu Lantz was the type of guard who understood that good offence often starts with making the defence commit first. He wasn’t interested in rushing possessions just to prove he could create something. Instead, he probed patiently, changed speeds and waited for a defender to lean the wrong way before attacking the gap. What stands out is how well he played off balance without looking out of control. He could turn the corner out of a pick-and-roll, stop on a dime for a mid-range jumper or keep his dribble alive long enough for a cutter to flash into view, delivering simple, accurate passes rather than spectacular ones. His scoring came from timing and touch more than raw athleticism, and he was comfortable playing without the ball, relocating to open areas instead of standing as a stationary outlet. Defensively, Lantz relied on positioning and anticipation. He worked over screens with determination, recognised developing actions early and did a solid job steering ball handlers toward help instead of gambling for steals that left the back line exposed. The trade-off was that bigger, more explosive guards could create separation if possessions became purely physical contests, and he wasn’t the type to consistently manufacture difficult offence late in the shot clock against loaded defences. To me, his best role was as a secondary ball handler on a team that valued continuity, where the ball rarely stopped moving and multiple players shared playmaking duties. That’s where his feel for spacing and decision-making became most valuable, because he naturally kept possessions flowing from one action to the next without forcing himself into the spotlight. His game shared elements of Geoff Huston’s steady orchestration and Steve Blake’s understated efficiency, although Lantz was a little more willing to hunt his own jumper when defenders drifted under screens. He wasn’t trying to dominate the game with volume. He was trying to make every possession a little cleaner than the one before it, and there’s more value in that than the box score usually reveals.

Fun Facts

  • He has been a long-time commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers since the 1980s.

Sources:

NBA.com — Stu Lantz – Los Angeles Lakers Alumni
Basketball-Reference — Stu Lantz Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Sports-Reference College Basketball — Stuart Lantz College Stats
Los Angeles Times — Stu Lantz – All Things Lakers
Husker Alum — Stu’s Views
The Draft Review — 1968 NBA Draft: Stu Lantz